Topping
Definition: Topping is a training technique where a grower cuts off the newest growth tip at the top of the main stem, just above a node. The plant responds by turning the two shoots below the cut into new main colas, producing a wider, flatter canopy with more evenly lit bud sites.
How Topping works
Cannabis grows with strong apical dominance. The top shoot produces hormones called auxins that hold back the side branches below it. Remove that tip and the signal drops, so the two shoots at the highest remaining node take over as co-leaders. One main cola becomes two, and the lower branches catch up in height.
When and how to top
- Timing: wait until the plant has 4 to 6 healthy nodes, usually 3 to 5 weeks after sprouting under 18 hours of light.
- Cut point: use clean, sharp scissors and snip the stem about 1/4 inch above the node you want to keep. Leave that node’s leaves and tiny side shoots alone.
- Recovery: expect 3 to 7 days of slower vertical growth while the plant redirects energy.
- Repeat: topping each new leader again turns 2 tops into 4, then 8, but every round adds roughly a week of veg time.
Why growers do it
A topped plant stays shorter and bushier, which matters in a tent with only 5 to 7 feet of headroom. Spreading the canopy puts more bud sites inside the strongest part of your light footprint, so you trade one oversized central cola for several dense, evenly sized ones. Topping pairs well with LST, which pulls the new leaders apart so they don’t shade each other.
Skip topping once the plant has entered flower. Be cautious with autoflowers too: their fixed life cycle leaves little time to bounce back, so most growers either top once, very early, or rely on bending alone.